It’s been 16 months since I first entered the corporate world as a naive graduate. I’d say I still have a lot to learn – however, I have some observations that I’d like to share before the new decade begins – things that may help you while you, too, navigate through your workplace and career!

1. Learn to Say No

Many times as a newbie the thought “I can’t handle this right now – but I can’t say no” has popped up in my mind. I bet many others have had the same thought at some point. I struggle with workload and workflow on a daily basis as I receive work from multiple channels – and it’s work that needs a quick turnaround but takes longer to do if you do not want to compromise on quality. After reaching a breaking point – I was working at the office on a Poya day (holiday in Sri Lanka) and broke down in the toilet because I was so overwhelmed – I decided to stand my ground and say no. Blasting out an email to the team announcing that I have 64 undone Asana tasks on my list apart from other tasks that have been sent through email may not have alleviated work all that much – but it certainly informed them of my workload and made them a little more thoughtful as to what work to assign to me.

I still am going through the same struggle – I have to stand my ground daily – but it’s worth it when it comes to saving my sanity. So don’t be afraid to say no when you need to.

2. Balancing work and life is hard – but not too hard if you make it a priority

For many, work has become their whole life. And as much as this is commendable, it is still important to keep a work-life balance i.e. social life + pursuing hobbies and other interests. Not only will this keep you sane, but it will also keep you enriched, informed and interesting. It is also most likely that you could bring new perspectives into work because of your exposure to life outside of work. In the same way, working out regularly and eating healthy are also important aspects that makes life all the better – compromising would lead to a poorer quality of life, frustration, and in some cases, depression. It’s better to build these good habits early on in your career than wait till you are “successful” to do so.

The key is to make life outside of work an equal priority. Whatever anyone says at work, stand your ground, and don’t be ashamed to leave on time (which is something that I am guilty of but also doesn’t really make sense to me because I’m not really getting paid an overtime fee – and I wasn’t really lazing around the whole day either…) I make time for loved ones or go for my Rotaract club meetings or projects… I also joined a dancing class as well as a gym; sometimes I just go home and read a book or play and write some music.

3. Start work early

If you have the option of flexible hours, starting early could be very beneficial. Wake up around 5 AM, follow your morning routine and then head to work. I begin work around 7:15 AM. Chances are you are quite fresh and productive in the morning (unless of course, you are a night owl). And the best part? You get to leave work early on most days and pursue other things that would be enriching to you! (See: point #2)

4. Employers shouldn’t aim to fill up all of their employees’ working hours

I’m not saying this to mean that employers should be paying their employees for doing little work. Instead, I have realised that for me to add value to the company by being proactive and coming up with new ideas and putting them into action, I need time to formulate, plan and execute. A lot of the time, I find myself throwing fantastic ideas under the rug because I am too busy with other work. I don’t have any time to think and be a little creative because I am always on go-mode doing work that others have assigned to me. So if you’re an employer reading this, it’s something for you to seriously think about.

5. Don’t settle

Don’t settle in any way that settling is possible! Keep learning more, keep gaining new experiences, keep challenging yourself and keep working for a better life! I’ve met many people who work 8:30-5:30, go home, sleep and repeat. They have no major goals except to keep the cycle going. If one is happy and fulfilled with this, it’s completely fine. Chances are, they are not. So it is imperative to keep improving yourself and keep striving for better – and not settling for less than you deserve 🙂

With that, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. May 2020 be your year of successful endeavours!

Nethmie Dehigama

 

Header image: Andrew Morgan